It looked for a few years like compact and mid-size pickups were a dying breed. But with the introduction of an all-new Chevrolet Colorado this next year, along with a new-generation Honda Ridgeline under development, this portion of the truck market could rebound.

Yesterday was a big day for General Motors. Four-and-a-half years after the automaker zipped through a restructuring process facilitated by the U.S. and Canadian governments, three years after its return to the stock market, the U.S. government sold off the last of its shares in the company.

Americans love playing pranks. We may be overweight, we may not have the world's highest scores in math and science, but no one can accuse us of not loving an elaborate practical joke. (There's a reason the Jackass phenomenon started here.)

The manufacture of mass-produced cars in Australia is all but over, with General Motors’ local division Holden announcing today it will cease production by the end of 2017. The news comes just months after Ford announced it will end production in Australia by 2016, and the third local manufacturer, Toyota, has stated that the impact to the supplier base in the country should Holden exit would render its own production operations unviable.

These are the latest spy shots of a test mule for Jaguar’s upcoming crossover based on the C-X17 concept first shown at the 2013 Frankfurt Auto Show. The vehicle will take on the BMW X3 and Mercedes-Benz GLK-Class in the premium small crossover segment but will be set apart by brilliant dynamics and fuel efficiency made possible by an advanced lightweight aluminum architecture.

Earlier this year, Volvo revealed its stylish Concept Coupe, which at the time of its unveiling was said to be the first of a trio of forward-looking concepts due in the coming months. Today, we have our first look at the second of Volvo’s forward-looking concepts, the new Concept XC Coupe.

Last year, Nissan sold over 230,000 examples of its Juke compact crossover worldwide. MINI sold over 100,000 Countryman and Paceman models. Kia moved nearly 400,000 Sportage crossovers. The message here is that subcompact and compact crossovers are big business. Ford knows this, which is why its new EcoSport (pronounced "Echo-sport") is to be sold in Europe and the Far East, as well as its home markets in South America.